Posts Tagged ‘Office of Economic Adjustment’

The Defense Department will be allocating $175 million to local school districts to construct, renovate, repair or expand elementary and secondary schools operated by local school districts on military installations that are in poor condition or experiencing overcrowding, according to an April 23 Federal Register notice. The funding, part of the fiscal 2015 spending bill for DOD, supplements an ongoing, non-competitive program administered by the Office of Economic Adjustment that has provided a total of $770 million to upgrade schools. OEA will use a list of schools with the most serious capacity or facility condition deficiencies assembled by the department in 2011 to invite local education agencies to apply for funding …

Officials in northwest Ohio last week held a two-day workshop to generate ideas to expand job creation opportunities and assist businesses and workers harmed by defense cutbacks at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima. The participants first learned that existing workforce development efforts in Allen County have a cohesive structure, according to Future iQ Partners, the consultant hired by the county through a $220,000 grant from the Office of Economic Adjustment. “You don’t have dysfunction here,” said David Beurle, the firm’s CEO. “You’re not broken … and you’re not starting at zero. You’ve got momentum …

Communities interested in intervening when a commercial energy project could interfere with military activities now can apply for planning assistance from DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment to limit potential conflicts with installations, ranges, training routes or special use airspace. States, counties, municipalities and other public entities, along with tribal nations, are eligible for community adjustment planning assistance under the program to ensure an energy project does not jeopardize DOD’s test, training and military operations. Examples of conflicts with military activity include low-level flight obstructions caused by wind turbines or solar power towers, electromagnetic interference from high-voltage electrical transmission lines, and glint and glare from photovoltaic arrays and solar power towers near military airfields …

The Georgia Department of Economic Development is launching a study of the state’s aerospace and defense industries and how they might cope with potential spending cuts. The study, funded by a $700,000 grant from DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment, was announced earlier this month. “The results of the study will be critical in developing and expanding new market opportunities for Georgia businesses and our workforce,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr said in a release. “Our expectation is that this economic model tool will provide an accurate diagram of the supply chain for Georgia’s aerospace, defense and manufacturing sectors …

Two state agencies in South Carolina are helping defense businesses diversify into other industries through a $700,000 grant from DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment. The initiative — offered through the Department of Employment and Workforce and the Department of Commerce — is intended to help businesses in the defense industry prepare for reductions in spending by DOD. The program offers companies support in strategic planning, sales and marketing, lean product development and quality certifications, reported GSA Business. Two industries that defense firms are being encouraged to pursue are aerospace and automotive …

Communities responding to the cancellation of a defense contract or a major reduction in DOD spending that results in a significant economic impact can apply to DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment for planning assistance to carry out community adjustment and economic diversification activities, according to an announcement scheduled to be published Monday in the Federal Register. To be eligible, state or local governments, or regional entities need to have experienced one of the following circumstances: a publicly announced planned major reduction in DOD spending; the cancellation or termination of a DOD contract; or the failure to proceed with an approved major weapons system program …

California has more schools than any other state on the Pentagon’s list of on-base public schools most in need of repair, but in most cases the local school districts lack the matching funds to take advantage of congressional funding intended to address the problem. Congress has allocated almost a billion dollars in recent years to upgrade facilities or expand capacity at public schools on military installations, reported the Los Angeles Times. The grants, however, require school systems or their states to fund 20 percent of the projects’ cost. The Muroc Joint Unified School District would like to make a variety of repairs to its elementary school on Edwards AFB costing $27.8 million but so far hasn’t been able to raise the matching funds …

Cambria County officials last week approved a $350,000 grant from DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment to revitalize Johnstown, Pa., following cuts in the local defense industry. “The main reason they approached us really is because of the amount of job cuts that our defense industry has experienced in the region,” John Dubnansky, county grant writer, told WTAJ News. The county will use the funds for several renovation projects including one to convert a building in downtown Johnstown so it can house college classrooms, retail space and a rooftop restaurant. “This is an economic development project for us to create jobs in the area versus just seeing job losses like we have had,” said Dubnansky. The county also will conduct a study to look at the region’s economic strengths, he said. “We’ve tailored this great opportunity to what our community needs were,” said Doug Lengenfelder, the county’s president commissioner.

With Wright-Patterson Air Force Base bracing for the possibility of downsizing as the Pentagon struggles to meet stringent spending caps, local officials in the Miami Valley region of Ohio plan to apply to DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment for a diversification planning grant ranging from $4 million to $6 million. The Dayton Development Coalition, Montgomery County and Wright State University want to use the grant to help diversify the region’s economy ahead of looming federal budget cuts and a prospective BRAC round. Wright-Patt supports 27,500 workers directly and thousands of contractor positions, reported the Dayton Business Journal. The development coalition has been trying to protect jobs at the installation. Tenant organizations at Wright-Patt support many local research companies and organizations, including the University of Dayton Research Institute.

David Larson, who oversaw thousands of funding awards to communities affected by closure, realignment and mission growth as the deputy director for programs for DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), retired from the Defense Department last month after serving at the agency for 23 years. Larson oversaw almost $3 billion in awards to local and state governments, helping defense communities to both prepare for and cope with BRAC actions, and to protect neighboring installations from incompatible growth. He managed support for the Defense Economic Adjustment Program and the Economic Adjustment Committee, a 22-agency effort to support communities responding to defense program changes …